Flag football team for Valley women
CALEXICO — The disbandment of the Vipers, Cobras and Eagles left women interested in playing on a flag football team in the Valley this year essentially option-less.
That is, until a group of players decided to form the Dragones, a Calexico-based team brewing up to compete in the Liga Baja Flag Femenil in Mexicali this upcoming season.
With a tryout date set for 7:30 p.m. Aug. 5 at Rancho Elegante Park here, the team hopes to fill its 50-woman roster just in time for the start of the season in October.
The team is open to any women ages 15 years or older in the Valley. No prior experience on a football field is needed, head coach Diego Gonzalez explained.
Headed by Gonzalez and assistant coaches Alex Cervantes and Jesse Contreras, the Dragones were created by women who wanted to carry on the tradition of a Valley team competing across the border.
“A lot of our players had played on different teams and, from those experiences, they banded together and wanted to form a team for themselves that was all about the values and virtues that they value,” Gonzalez said. “That’s why we’re geared towards the players, because we’re founded by the players.” The Dragones will compete in eight games — played in a nine-on-nine format with a coach allowed on the field during offensive drives — against teams from Tijuana and Mexicali.
An ambulance and referees will be on site each game. Winning teams will advance to the LBFF playoffs and eventually compete for a league championship.
“It’s a really fantastic cultural experience for all of our players to get to travel together and then play in the fields in Tijuana and get to see a little bit of that culture shock,” Gonzalez said.
For Imperial resident Leonor Norris, competing south of the border was a culture shock indeed. “There’s a lot of teams in Mexicali,” the 29-year-old said. “Honestly over there, they’re pretty big on flag football.”
Norris explained she hadn’t even watched a National Football League game before playing nose guard and fullback for the Eagles last year.
“But the good thing about it is that we have coaches who teach us about the sport,” she said. “As long as you like doing exercise and being a little bit competitive and tough, you should be good.”
Having already worked out with other Dragones prospects, Norris believed the culture within the team will be quite friendly, as a group chat already exists for players who want to carpool and not take their vehicles across the border. “Basically we’re here to have fun and just enjoy the sport,” she said. “And, at the same time, be competitive because we’re trying to be a competitive team in order to compete with the teams in Mexicali, because they’re good.”
As the oldest Dragones prospect is 37 years old, Holtville resident Priscilla Garcia, 26, noted that the age difference during games is something to take into consideration.
“I remember when I was 15 and I could run and not get tired,” Garcia, who played middle linebacker for the Eagles last year, said. “It helps me personally that they’re younger and faster, because it motivates me to get better.”
Also worth considering, Garcia explained, is the amount of unavoidable contact during games.
“It’s a tough sport,” Garcia, who plans to play on the Dragones alongside her former teammate Norris, said. “It’s not like soccer or softball — it’s all about contact. You get pushed around, and you need to be willing to push people around. It’s not like tackle football, but there is contact somewhat.”
Coach Gonzalez explained that a lot of the players set to try out for the Dragones are simply passionate about working out, not necessarily football.
“So they come here looking for that experience, or that exercise, and they get so much out of it,” Gonzalez said. “They get a whole community; they build a family; they learn football, and they get a whole experience out of it.”
Coach Cervantes explained that potential players hailing from Brawley, El Centro and Heber have shown interest in trying out for the team. “We want to represent the Imperial Valley even though we have a few girls from Mexicali,” Cervantes said. “We take great pride in just providing that outlet and being the only source right now to get their football fix in,” Gonzalez added. “We know there’s a lot of people that are very talented here, who are yearning, who are passionate about football and about sports and athleticism, and we’re just hoping to spark their attention and form the strongest team possible.”
For players who do land a spot on the team, a $60 one-time fee is required. For more information, contact Gonzalez at (760) 540-4685.